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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23291074">A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/truthtakestime/pseuds/truthtakestime'>truthtakestime</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hogan's Heroes (TV 1965), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Crossover, Gen, Hogan's boys will never get anything done, Howard's lost toys, Old Friends, Peggy cleans up after her boys as usual, Peggy is the best, not with Peggy in camp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:12:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23291074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/truthtakestime/pseuds/truthtakestime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An old friend of Colonel Hogan's drops by Stalag 13, though unfortunately it is not a social call. </p><p>That's okay. As far as Hogan is concerned, Peggy could have come to court-martial him and he would still be happy to see her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I must have written this five or six years ago, which is just embarrassing how long it's sat untouched. I am actually really proud of my characterization of Hogan and his lads, and I can't imagine why I never posted it. </p><p>Initially it was supposed to be a sequel to another fic I was working on, but that remains woefully half done. Fortunately, I think that this one stands well enough on its own that it can live here now. Perhaps one day more will come of this little crossover.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Colonel Hogan! Colonel Hogan, we have a visitor, come all the way from London!”</p><p>Hogan looked up from the cigar he'd been contemplating – Klink's – and frowned at LeBeau. The little Frenchman was excited. Considering that his usual energy level was a good deal higher than the average man, the fact that the Colonel could identify his mood as excited meant that there was definitely something big happening. Only for that reason would he excuse his friend's lack of immediate and relevant details. </p><p>“A visitor as in a new prisoner?” he prompted patiently. He was a saint, a bona fide saint. “That's strange, there's nothing on the books.” On the books today was throwing a party for a German Panzer convoy. Also, he was positive that there would have been some notice from London if one of theirs had been running a mission in the area. “It's not like Klink to be off his schedule, is there some kind of emergency?”</p><p>“Not exactly, Colonel.” As boldly as if she owned the place, a beautiful, English, armed woman stepped into his office, followed by Carter and Newkirk and Kinch like faithful puppies.</p><p>Hogan clambered to his feet at once. “Well I'll be darned, it's Peggy Carter!” he exclaimed with a grin. “I didn't think I'd see the day when you made it all the way out here to see me.”</p><p>“She came in through the tunnel, Colonel,” Kinch informed him, grinning broadly. “Caused quite a stir when she popped though into the barracks.”</p><p>“Hm.” The woman gave a faint smirk. “It's a pleasure to see you too, Colonel. How's business?”</p><p>“Oh, it's booming! Excellent, wonderful.” He couldn't keep the smile off his face. “I hear you've been doing some good work, too. Your, ah, Howling Commandos are very impressive.”</p><p>“We all try to do our bit.”</p><p>Crossing his arms, Hogan ran a critical eye over her. It had been quite a while since they'd seen each other last – hazards of the job and all that – but at one point they'd spent a lot of time together, even planned several major operations. He was curious why she was here now. Peggy and her people generally didn't pop down to his neck of the woods for sausages and beer. But her professional, tailored uniform and faint smile betrayed nothing of her purpose. She <i>was</i> armed, though; that itself was probably enough to suggest something of her plans. “I don't suppose that this is a social call, hm?”</p><p>“I'm afraid not, Colonel.” She swatted at Newkirk's hand inching towards her jacket pocket. “Though my presence here should hardly be cause for alarm; my mission should not interfere with your normal affairs.”</p><p>“Yeah, right,” LeBeau scoffed, gazing up at her adoringly. “Try saying that once the rest of the camp has found out that you're here.”</p><p>“Well then, you will just need to keep that from happening, won't you?” She favored him with a smile, and Hogan thought that he saw a little piece of LeBeau's heart die inside him.</p><p>“Oui, Mademoiselle.”</p><p>As amusing as it was, the four of them mooning over her like lovesick puppies was getting distracting. Hogan figured he had better put a stop to it before she felt the need to injure one of them (he wouldn't put it past her). “Alright, that's it, everybody out!” He waved his hands at them. “I think that Ms. Carter and I need to have a private chat. Go on, get out of here!”</p><p>“Oh, one thing.” Peggy turned around quickly, pinning <i>Private</i> Carter with her eyes. “I believe that there's a man in this camp, a Sergeant Stephen O'Loughlin?”</p><p>It took Carter a moment, but then his face lit up with recognition. “Oh, yeah! The Aussie, we got him about six months ago. Nice guy, hell of a poker player. Um, begging your pardon, Ms. Carter.”</p><p>He was favored with a smile similar to the one that she'd given LeBeau. “Sergeant Carter, if I was concerned about hearing men swear around me, I would certainly not be in this business. Now, if you'd please be so kind as to find Sergeant O'Loughlin and send him in, I would appreciate it.”</p><p>“Oh, yes! Yes ma'am, I mean. I'm sorry, ma'am.” He was still apologizing as he ducked out and pulled the door closed behind him.</p><p>Peggy turned to Hogan as the sounds from outside cut off. “Well, they certainly are an attentive bunch,” she commented. “I've no doubt that they approach the work that you do with the same vigor.”</p><p>“Something like that.” Hogan waved a vague hand. “So, how about it, Peg? We could do pleasantries, but things seem a bit tight for that and you always prefered to cut to the chase. What's important enough to bring you all the way down to Stalag 13 and melt my men's brains down to nothing?”</p><p>For a second, Peggy paused. It was so quick that Hogan might have missed it, had he not known her as well as he did. “There is an… item being stored at a Gestapo safe house that belongs to a very good friend of mine. I've come here to retrieve it.”</p><p>“Let me guess, Stark's the friend?”</p><p>A faint, irritated smile. “Something like that.”</p><p>Hogan knew Howard Stark by reputation only. The man was a millionaire, a playboy, a nutcase… but he was also unquestionably brilliant. Inventions that others couldn't even dream of came out of his workshop, and had gone a long way towards helping the Allies win the war. Hogan respected him for that. But there was also a degree of professional rivalry between them – the things they built at Stalag 13 might not have been as complicated, but they were just as important – and he looked forward to the day when they could stand face to face and debate who was the more clever between them.</p><p>He returned his attention to Peggy, who was watching him carefully. The look in her eyes said that she'd guessed at his train of thought. Clearing his throat, he got back to business. “Breaking into Gestapo bases seems like more of a tactical operation than an intelligence mission. Don't you have the Howlers for just this sort of thing?”</p><p>“London has different uses for them at the moment. But that's hardly relevant, as I am perfectly capable of conducting a tactical assault on my own if I deem it necessary.”</p><p>“Oh, I wasn't suggesting otherwise; I'm just curious why you even stopped by in the first place if you've got the whole thing handled. I thought London was supposed to at least give me a heads up when they sent someone in?” That part had been troubling him.</p><p>“Ah, yes. About that, Colonel...” Peggy chewed her lip, for the first time since she'd breezed in looking less than certain. “...London is not exactly <i>aware</i> that I'm out here. In fact, they are not aware of the situation at all.”</p><p>Hogan raised an eyebrow. Now that <i>was</i> interesting. “Oh?”</p><p>Peggy nodded. “You know Howard; he's not exactly forthcoming even when everything is going well and he is on his best behavior. Lately he has been rather less than cooperative. He might possibly have neglected to mention the theft of the item.”</p><p>“And you, the loyal, courageous friend, offered to retrieve it before the brass finds out?”</p><p>“Robert!” She slapped him in the chest, frustration bleeding through her tone. “This device is dangerous, and it cannot remain in enemy hands. The matter needs to be handled quickly and discreetly, and there was hardly time for us to bring it to the generals to bandy about solutions in the War Room!”</p><p>“Whoa, hey! Relax, Peg; I'm not accusing you of anything. Hell, if I had my way, you'd be <i>running</i> the War Room.”</p><p>“I'm sorry.” Peggy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she'd replaced the anger with that distant, unreadable mask she did so well. It was even better than it had been the last time Hogan had seen her, and it gave him an inkling of sadness. Emotional Peggy was not well-looked upon by most of the men in charge, but she was at her best when they allowed her to <i>feel</i> things. The brass didn't even realize that they were stifling a genius. “Things in London have been… well, difficult lately, and with Howard's moods on top of everything else, and the Howlers off on their own with another potential suicide mission, and St – staying focused, well, it is harder than it ought to be.”</p><p>And that was about as close as he would ever get to an admission of weakness from Peggy Carter.</p><p>Out of courtesy, Hogan did not comment on her brief slip of the tongue. Steve. She'd meant to say Steve, and she'd stopped herself; that was fine. Everyone knew the stories of what had happened, that they hadn't found his body yet. Dragging up that painful subject would do no one any good. Instead, he gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and said, “We'll do anything we can to help, Peg. Stalag 13 is at your service!” He straightened up and gave a proper salute, and she laughed at him, which was the whole idea. “I do have to ask, though, what is it that you want with O'Loughlin?”</p><p>“What? Oh, of course. The Sergeant and I – ” She never got to finish that sentence, as the Sergeant in question opened the door at exactly that moment. “You wanted to see me, Colonel – bloody hell, Peggy?” He launched into a barely discernible flow of very bad French, to which Peggy responded just as rapidly, though with much better grammar.</p><p>Hogan watched with fascination. “I take it that you two know each other?” he asked after their chatter had quieted. He managed to keep a stern look on his face, that Peggy could probably see through but the Sergeant would not.</p><p>As he'd hoped, O'Loughlin straightened up immediately at the sudden reminder that he was in the presence of a commanding officer. “Yes, Sir. Do you remember the situation I told you about in France, Sir?”</p><p>“Yeah, you said you got some assistance from a British Agent, who helped to arrange your extraction. That was <i>Peggy</i>?”</p><p>The woman shrugged. Her eyes were abnormally bright, and he gathered that she'd grown very fond of the Sergeant in the short time they had been together. “I was in the neighborhood,” she joked, before growing serious again. “Colonel, if it's alright, I'd like Sergeant O'Loughlin to assist me while I'm here.”</p><p>“Of course. That is, as long as the Sergeant doesn't mind missing the other little party we were planning to throw?”</p><p>“No, Sir.” O'Loughlin shook his head. “I'd like to work with Agent Carter on this, Sir.”</p><p>Hogan rolled his eyes. He was as much a fan of the privileges of his rank as the next guy, but O'Loughlin was <i>too</i> stiff and proper about it. Six months had passed since the man had gotten into camp; it was time for him to lighten up a little! “Okay, then. You two can work together, on two conditions.”</p><p>“Oh?” Peggy raised a cynical eyebrow. “And what might those be?”</p><p>“The first, is that Sergeant O'Loughlin would <i>relax</i>. I might be a senior officer, but there is no reason why that fact should translate to you as tacking a “sir” on to the end of every one of your sentences. Once or twice in a conversation is fine, not every ten words.” </p><p>From the look on the Sergeant's face, he was going to have to remind him of this order from time to time before it really sank in. But Hogan was nothing if not persistent.</p><p>“And the second condition?” Peggy asked, saving the poor man any more embarrassment.</p><p>Finally giving up on control, Hogan let his lips curl back in an excited grin. “The second condition is that I get to come with you too, Peg. I bet there's all <i>kinds</i> of fun stuff in a Gestapo safe house!”</p><p>Peggy smiled at him and shook her head. “Well, in that case Colonel, I believe we have a deal.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sgt. Steve O'Loughlin is (obviously) an OC, whose appearance in my head is based rather heavily on Alex O'Loughlin, and I was too lazy to choose a different last name. The fic I mentioned at the beginning that sits sadly in the land of WIPs was about him and Peggy meeting while trying to escape occupied France.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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